Who was the witch? Before witches became a Halloween season staple with their black hats, warts, and broomsticks, they were a figure of power and fear across the world and for thousands of years. But in 15th century Europe, a peculiar and ominous witch-figure was born: that of the diabolical witch, complicit in a continent-wide conspiracy led by the Devil himself. This early modern witch-figure contained within it fears of unruly gender, aberrant theological belief, and defiance of lawful authority. And, tragically, it was grimly instrumental in the European “witch-hunt” to come.
In this seminar, we’ll explore the figure of the witch in cinema, from 1922’s HÄXAN to 2015’s THE WITCH and beyond. We’ll look at the earliest filmic depictions of the witch — in particular, films that explore the early modern witch and witch-hunt. We’ll think about legacies of the witch, changing depictions of the witch, and divergent ways both the witch and the “hunt” take on meaning.
About Jessica Lowe:
Jessica C. Lowe is a lecturer in Gender and Sexuality Studies at Vanderbilt and an historian of early modern European religion and culture. Her research focuses on the negotiation tactics of Anabaptists, who were regarded as sexually deviant, heretical, and seditious. Jessica teaches courses on sex and society, reproductive justice, early modern sexuality and gender, and the early modern European witch trials. She earned her Ph.D. in History from Vanderbilt University. Prior to joining the faculty at Vanderbilt, Jessica taught for three years at Sewanee: The University of the South.